The Second Jackson- Piper McLean book 1

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Hazel

"Hazel" Lani was shaking my shoulder. "Wake up. We've reached Seattle"

I sat up groggily, squinting in the morning sunlight. "Frank?"

Frank groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Did we just... was I just—?"

"You both passed out" Lani said.

"I don't know why but Ella told us not to worry about it. She said you were... sharing?" Percy added.

"Sharing" Ella agreed. She crouched in the stern, preening her wing feathers with her teeth, which didn't look like a very effective form of personal hygiene. She spit out some red fluff. "Sharing is good. No more blackouts. Biggest American blackout, August 14, 2003. Hazel shared. No more blackouts"

Percy scratched his head. "Yeah... we've been having conversations like that all night. I still don't know what she's talking about"

I pressed my hand against my coat pocket. I could feel the piece of firewood, wrapped in cloth.

I looked at Frank. "You were there"

He nodded. He didn't say anything, but his expression was clear: He'd meant what he said. He wanted me to keep the piece of tinder safe. I wasn't sure whether I should feel honored or scared. No one had ever trusted me with something so important.

"Wait" Lani said. "You mean you guys shared a blackout?"

"Are you guys both going to pass out from now on?" Percy asked.

"Nope" Ella said. "Nope, nope, nope. No more blackouts. More books for Ella. Books in Seattle"

I gazed over the water. We were sailing through a large bay, making our way toward a cluster of downtown buildings. Neighborhoods rolled through a series of hills. From the tallest one rose an odd white tower with a saucer on the top, like a spaceship from the old Flash Gordon movies Sammy used to love.

No more blackouts? I thought. After enduring them for so long, the idea seemed too good to be true.

How could Ella be sure they were gone? Yet I did feel different... more grounded, as if I wasn't trying to live-in two-time periods anymore. Every muscle in my body began to relax. I felt like I'd finally slipped out of a lead jacket I'd been wearing for months. Somehow, having Frank with me during the blackout had helped. I'd relived my entire past, right through to the present. Now all I have to worry about was the future- assuming I had one.

Percy steered the boat toward the downtown docks. As we got closer, Ella scratched at her nest of books.

I stared to feel edgy too. I wasn't sure why. It was a bright sunny day, and Seattle looked like a beautiful place, with inlets and bridges, wooded islands dotting the bay, and snowcapped mountains riding in the distance. Still, I felt as if I was being watched.

"Um... why are we stopping here?" I asked.

Percy showed us a silver ring on his necklace. "Reyna has a sister here. She asked me to find her and show her this"

"Reyna has a sister?" Frank acted like the idea terrified him.

Percy nodded. "Apparently Reyna thinks her sister could send help for the camp"

"Amazons" Ella muttered. "Amazon country. Hmm. Ella will find libraries instead. Doesn't like Amazons. Fierce. Shields. Swords. Pointy. Ouch"

Frank reached for his spear. "Amazons? Like... female warriors?"

"That would make sense" I said. "If Reyna's sister is also a daughter of Bellona, I can see why she'd join the Amazons. But... is it safe for us to be here?"